Wayzata Bay Center facts for kids
The mall's former north entrance
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| Location | Wayzata, Minnesota, US |
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| Coordinates | 44°58′8″N 93°30′22″W / 44.96889°N 93.50611°W |
| Address | 927 East Lake Street |
| Opening date | June 1967 |
| Closing date | August 15, 2011 |
| Developer | United Properties |
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| No. of stores and services | 30 |
| Total retail floor area | 127,000 sq ft (12,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | www.wayzatabaycenter.com |
Wayzata Bay Center was a shopping mall located in Wayzata, Minnesota. This town is a suburb near the big cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The mall had about 30 stores and covered an area of 127,000 square feet (12,000 m2). It was a single-story building.
The mall first opened its doors in 1967. It was built in two main parts, with the first part finished in 1964. At first, Wayzata Bay Center had many local shops and small businesses. Later, bigger national stores like The Original Pancake House and True Value moved in. The mall closed down in 2011. This happened because the city of Wayzata decided to build something new on the same land.
Building the Wayzata Bay Center
The Wayzata Bay Center was built in Wayzata, Minnesota. It was constructed in two different stages. The land where the mall stands used to be wetlands. These wet areas were filled with dirt and concrete. This made the ground strong enough to build on. The northern part of the mall was finished in 1964. The southern part of the mall was completed in 1967.
Building the entire center cost about $1.5 million. It had a large parking lot with 1,200 spaces. A grocery store called Country Club Market was one of its main stores. For many years, the mall offered a special shuttle service. This shuttle would drive shoppers around the mall. However, this service stopped in the late 1990s. The mall did not get any major updates until 1980. At that time, four smaller buildings were added in the parking lot. These buildings housed restaurants and a Goodyear tire shop.
Changes and Challenges
In the early 2000s, more and more stores started to leave the mall. Between 2002 and 2004, the number of empty stores grew a lot. In June 2004, the City of Wayzata shared new plans for the mall. They thought about tearing down half of the mall. They also planned to fix up the other half. The idea was to build four apartment buildings on the property. There was also talk of adding a new grocery store. Stores like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's were considered.
However, these plans did not happen. The company that owned the mall, Madison Marquette, sold it. In December 2004, local business owners bought the mall. They owned a store called The Foursome, which had been in the mall since 1967. After plans to rebuild the mall were approved in 2008, The Foursome moved. They left their large 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) store and moved to nearby Plymouth, Minnesota. More businesses closed in 2009. This meant even more empty spaces in the Wayzata Bay Center.
The Mall's Final Days
Even though the mall often hosted local events and art shows, people started talking about it closing in 2004 and 2005. The owner at the time, Madison Marquette, said they wanted to "upgrade and enhance" the mall. This was to make it more appealing to stores and customers. They even considered removing the indoor parts of the mall. But these plans were never put into action.
After many years of discussions, Wayzata Bay Center officially closed on August 15, 2011. The tearing down of the mall began in April 2012. By then, all the stores had either moved to new locations or closed completely. The Original Pancake House was the very last store to close. This restaurant had been in the mall since 1994. It moved to nearby Plymouth. Another store, Adele's Frozen Custard, closed its Wayzata location for good. Other final stores included a True Value hardware store, a jewelry shop, a health food store, and a furniture store.
After the mall was torn down, new construction began. The plan was to build a senior living facility. It would also have shops and offices. There were some delays from the city council. But construction finally started in June 2013. The new project was called The Promenade. It was expected to be fully finished in 2016. When the new project was done, the company that bought the land, Presbyterian Homes, called it "ambitious." They thanked the City of Wayzata for their help. The new development now has senior apartments, condos, a hotel, and spaces for offices and shops.
